Cancer patients often require chemo ports for medical care. The Bard PowerPort is an implantable port device to access a patient’s vascular system. It can deliver intravenous fluids, medications, and nutrition solutions, and also withdraw blood samples. This device gets implanted surgically and comprises two parts: a catheter and an injector.
However, what appeared beneficial soon resulted in patient stress and worry. Recently, cancer patients complained about the defects and after-effects of this device, which caused severe injuries. The risks comprise infection, blood clots, hemorrhage, heart punctures, and many more.
As of July 2024, 322 port catheter legal cases are pending at the MDL. In this article, we will discuss a few patient stories that highlight the defects of the device. This will help other cancer patients make an informed decision.
Brandie Songy’s Experience With the Port Catheter
In August 2023, Drugwatch.com reported the story of a woman from Texas and her predicament with the Bard PowerPort. Brandie Songy was taking treatment for breast cancer. During this time the device was implanted in her body in August 2022 to deliver chemotherapy drugs. She said in less than one year the port catheter device stopped functioning.
The device fractured and was lodged in her heart. She had to undergo emergency surgery to take out the broken port piece. In her Bard PowerPort lawsuit, Songy shared that she started to feel shortness of breath and prolonged heart palpitations on July 6th. The next day, she had an outpatient chemotherapy infusion, but her doctors discovered a problem with the port.
An X-ray report revealed that a 5 cm piece of the port catheter was broken and got stuck in her heart. This condition requires immediate surgery to take out the catheter device. Also, more surgeries were recommended later for taking out the device and checking the condition of her heart.
Johanna Randow Upset With Bard PowerPort
A cancer patient from Maryland had filed a lawsuit against the manufacturer of Bard Infuse-A-Port. Johanna Randow, the patient in concern, had filed a product liability lawsuit because she faced a pulmonary embolism due to a device fracture.
In 2018, Randow had the Bard Infuse-A-Port device implanted in her body to facilitate chemotherapy. Within a year, that is, in 2019, the port had to be removed as it wasn’t working. It was in November 2021, that Randow suffered from pulmonary embolism. The medical tests highlighted that a portion of the device got stuck in her heart.
Her lawyers stated that this made her vulnerable to other future injuries. According to them, Randow today has to worry daily for all her life because the small device piece can lead to added injuries.
The Misery of a Urothelial Cancer Patient
In August 2023, the New York Legal Examiner shared information about another cancer patient who suffered after using the Bard PowerPort. The plaintiff had this device implanted in his body in May 2020 to treat urothelial cancer. The port remained in his body for more than a year.
It was only in December 2021 that he was admitted to the medical center, where his doctors found out about a fungal infection that he had developed. The infected port catheter had to be removed, and new antibiotics had to be suggested to him.
According to the plaintiffs, the defendants knew about the side effects of the port catheter device. Many patients like him had shared about this before. Even so, they decided to carry on marketing the product as completely safe.
What Makes the Bard PowerPort Defective for Cancer Patients?
Becton, Dickinson, and Company, the manufacturer of Bard PowerPort, has been severely criticized by affected cancer patients. They blamed the company for not informing the medical community and users about the device defects. If they did, it could have saved many cancer patients from the side effects and unwanted injuries.
However, it is interesting to know the reason why this device is faulty. Perhaps one can blame it on its construction. TorHoerman Law states that the Bard PowerPort catheters are made with Chronoflex AL, which is a polyurethane material. It’s a blend of barium sulfate and polyurethane. This material might result in device migration and fracture.
The barium sulfate particles might break from the catheter and cause cancer patients to face various complications, such as:
- Confusion
- Difficulty breathing
- Port site drainage
- Inflammation
- Fever
- Swelling
- Kidney issues
Hence, cancer patients must know the hazards of this device before blindly allowing their healthcare providers to implant it in their bodies. No one wants to experience added injuries in an attempt to treat a chronic ailment. Unfortunately, that’s what most cancer patients have experienced with the Bard PowerPort.
To sum up, cancer patients require chemotherapy to treat their respective cancers, for which the Bard PowerPort gets implanted in their bodies. However, patient stories revealed that the device started showing issues within a year or more of the implantation. While affected patients must get medical and legal aid, others must arrive at an informed decision about the device.
Patients should cite the issues the device can cause and discuss the matter with their doctors. If they aren’t convinced about the efficacy and safety of the chemo port, they shouldn’t opt for it.